1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting at least one alignment characteristic in a suspension system for an automotive vehicle in which there are cams which are used for adjusting the alignment characteristics, the cams being provided with means for locking the cams in position after being adjusted.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
It is old to use cams for adjusting the relative positions of two members, one of which is secured to the wheel and the other of which is secured to the frame of the car, the cams being initially adjusted in position and then being drawn tightly against engaging surfaces by a bolt on which the cams are supported. The difficulty with this arrangement is that while the adjustment is maintained under normal conditions, a sudden impact such as the automotive vehicle hitting a "pot hole" will cause the adjustment to shift.
Various arrangements have been proposed for preventing the alignment characteristics from being shifted after an adjustment has been made. For example, the Trussel U.S. Pat. No. 2,772,596 shows an arrangement employing a shim 30 which has serrations on it so that the shim when driven in does not tend to move.
The Slack U.S. Pat. No. 2,063,704 shows an arrangement in which there is a key that is inserted in the threads after adjustment has been made.
The Slack U.S. Pat. No. 2,162,828 shows two members having cooperating serrated surfaces which tend to register together to prevent the adjustment of the alignment from being disturbed.
The Ware U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,216 likewise shows an arrangement in which there are cooperating serrations which are locked together after the adjustment has been made in the alignment.
The Traugott U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,441 shows an arrangement in which there is a lock washer having a plurality of serrations on the opposite sides thereof so as to bite into or grip the adjacent shoulder and adjustable bushing. This is designed to prevent a shift in the alignment characteristics. In the Traugott U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,370, a ring with serrated edges is used for the same purpose.
There are a number of other patents in the alignment field which have means for limiting the amount of displacement that can occur after the adjustment has been made and tightened. None of these, however, are concerned with the use of alignment adjustment cams which present a unique problem. The use of alignment adjusting cams present a unique problem in that the distance from the center of the cam support to the periphery varies continuously so that as the cam is rotated, the pattern of engagement with an adjacent surface continuously changes. Furthermore, the increment of adjustment may be relatively small so that it is undesirable to have any arrangement which restricts the amount of adjustment by reason of meshing serrations, for example. Moreover, it is very desirable to be able to have considerable flexibility with regard to the equipment used to insure the locking of the cams in the adjusted position.